Propelling attachment for life-preservers.



. G; L. ANDERSON.

PROPELLING ATTACHMENT PoR LIFE PRBSBRVERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 7. 1913.

Patented July 14, 1914.v

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J. G. L. ANDERSON. i PBOPBLLING ATTAGHMBNT FOR LIFE PRESBRVBRS.

APPLIOATON FILED JAN wuwitofo Patented July 14, 1914.

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JOHN e. L. ANDEnsoN, or PROVIDENCE, RHODE IsLAND. n'

PROPELLING .ATTACHMENT FOR LIFE-PRESERVERS License.

To all 'whom t may concern: f r

Be it known that I, Jol-IN G. L. ANDERSON,

a citizen of the United States, residing atj Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain' lthe water.

A further object of the invention is to provide a constrution which may be attached to life belts such as are now-in usewithout -altering their construction or interfering with their operation as life preservers. A still further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which may be manually operated in a simple and convenient manner while the life belt is in position on the body. l

A further object of the invention is to so arrange the propeller that it will draw the wearer forward in the water and have a lifting tendency as well" as a propelling tendency. f

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a construction which will be comparatively light,land which, while forming an effectual propelling mechanism, will not materiallyl add `to the weight of the life preserver. Y A further object of the invention is to provide a construction in which the gearing ofl the propelling mechanism is at all times accessible for the purpose of lubrication and repair.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a disassembled perspective view ofthe apparatus and alife belt of the usual construction; Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing the device arranged on a life belt; Fig'. 3 is a perspective view showing a modified form of belt;

Fig. 4 .is a vertical section of a slightly' modied form of propelling mechanism; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the propelling device shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the arrangement of the handle and crank.

In the drawings, 10 designates a life belt of the usual construction which consists of the cork sections 11 and the straps 11 by Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jury ia, m14..`

Application led January 7,1913. Serial No. 740,671.

means of which the device is supported ons" `the body.

The invention broadly contemplates a construction which may be attached to a life belt without altering the construction. of the belt, but in the form shown in Fig. 1, one of the cork sections 11 is provided with a vertical opening 12 which receives the attaching rod of the propelling mechanism. y .The propelling mechanism consists of a supporting structure 13, which.

is of a length slightly greater than-'that of the width of the usual life belt, being pro-v vided with a gear housing 14 through which extends a shaft 15 on"which the gear 16 vis keyed.

The shaft 15 shaft 18 is rotatably supported by the por`- tion 19 of the casing, a gear 20 being mounteXtends through the housing and is rotated by means of a crank 17. A-

ed on said shaft, said gear meshing with lthe gear 16. A gear 21 is mounted on the terminal of the shaft '1S remote from the gear 20, said gear being arranged within the chamber 22 ofthesupporting member 13.V A shaft 23 is supported by the member 13 at right angles to the shaft 18, the terminal u `24 of said shaft extending within the .ob-f y,

liquely disposed opening 25'of the member 13. A gear is mounted on the terminal 24 of the shaft 23 remote from the opening 25, v

said gear meshing with vthe gear 21vof the shaft 18.1 It vwill be noted from this-com` structionv that as the crank k17 is rotated,=

movement `will be imparted to the shaft'y23 through the shaft 18.

A propeller 27 is mounted on the shaft 23,

saidfpropeller being disposed obliquely with respect to the base 28 of the support memf ber r13. .This arrangement of the propeller produces the forward movement of the mechanism, the mechanism being securedy `to the front of the life belt where the crank l '-17v may be conveniently manipulated by the wearer. The propeller is covered by a guard 29 formed of wire mesh, this guard preventing the hands of the wearer from contacting with the blades of the propeller..

The device may be secured to a belt in any suitable manner, and as illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2, the base 28 is provided with an eXtension-30 which is provided with an aperture 31, a pin 32 passing through this extension. This pin pivotally supports a rod 33, the terminal 34 of which is screw threaded and receives a` nut 35.` The edge .portion 3 6 .of the member 13' at a point immediately bey 55 ing clamped to the belt.

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llow the casing144 forms a shoulder 37 on which is arranged a keeper 38, the slot 39 of which receives the rod 33, the nut 35 being tightened to engage the keeper to securely hold the rod against displacement..

It will be noted by this construction that the portion 40`of the life preserver between' the sections 11 may be placed between the rod and the edge 3G of the member 13 and 10 the rod 33inserted within the slot 39 of the keeper.38 and securely locked against displacement, the device ythe life belt. v

`Curvedsupporting arms 41 are secured 15 to the rear'wall of the edge 36 of the member 13, vsaid arms contacting with the sec-f,

tions 11'to support the member 13 `against movement. While this ;construction is adapted. for attachment. to life belts of the 2o usual construction, it will be noted that a more convenient method vof attaching is to provide one of the corknsections vwith an opening 12 through which the rod maybe inserted, the rod thenbeing clamped to the keeper 38. c In this construction, the keeper and the extension are prevented from comingfin contact lwith the ybody of the wearer.

In the form shown in Fig. 4, the sup- 30 porting member consists of a metallic frame 42' which4 is preferably formed'of aluminum. This frame 42 embraces panels 43 of cork,

. y y the frame being of the samev configuration as the supporting member 13. 1n this form,

i a5,y the gear 44 isvsupported vwithin the casing 45, the shaft` 46 being supported within a h h bearing 47 which lis formed integral with vbelts,such as thatillustrated in Fig. 3, the

life belt comprising inflatable sections `51 and'52 and an intermediate-'section 53, which may beeither vinflatable vor formed of cork.

This section is formed with a vertically disposed opening v54 which receivesa rod 55, the .propellingA mechanism in this-manner be- It will be noted that a construction of this character will be light, -theonly `metallic members being ,the

frame and the gearing, the panels being formed of cork, there being suitable remov able panels 56 which may be formed of aluminum which cover the gears.

Attention is called to the fact that in the practical use of the invention, the .supporting member 13 may be readily employed to `steer the life belt makingv it readily possible thus being secured to Vthat lit provides an eiectual propelling means for the life preserver without materially adding to its weight, the propelling i for 'the operator of the propelling mecha- .nism to easily mechanism being Vsuch as may be operated with little exertion. ltfwill-al'so be noted that the propeller is so disposed as to create alifting tendency as well as tofpropel the device through the water'. f

It will be seen that the construction lis such `as may Abe easily and economically manufactured and that the various parts maybe readily assembled. Y

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is v 1.v A'propelling mechanism for life belts 1 comprising a supporting member, means for attaching the supporting member to the belt,

a housing arranged on the supporting member, a gear arranged in said housing,shafts disposed at right angles to each other, mesh'- ing gears carried by said shafts, the iirstmentioned gearuimparting motion to `said shafts, said supporting member v'being formed with an obliquely disposed opening, a propeller mountedonone lof said shafts and disposed in said opening, and means for rotating the first mentioned gear.

2. A propelling attachment for life belts comprisinga supporting member, a lmanually operated propelling mechanism carried by said member, a rodhingedly supported by the member and disposed to clamp the member to the belt, a, keeper arranged on the supporting member and disposed vto engage the free end of said rod.L

3.l A propelling attachment for .jlife lbelts comprising a frame, a housing supported by said frame, a gear arranged in said housing, a shaft supported by the frame, ya gear carried by said shaft and meshing with'the rst-mentioned gear, a second shaft support ed by said housing at right angles to the first-mentioned shaft, meshing gears carried by said shafts, an obliquely disposed openv ing formed in said frame, a propeller mounted on the second-mentioned shaft and disposed in said opening, panels formed of cork and secured to said frame, metallic plates secured to the cork panels and inclosving said shafts, `and means for operating the first-,mentioned gear to driver said propeller.

4. A "propelling mechanism' for life belts comprising a supporting member, p ivoted means carried by the supporting `member and disposed to embrace the belt, said sup*l porting member'consisting of a vertically disposed casing formed with an opening ar- CII ranged obliquely with respect to the belt, a propeller mounted for rotation within said opening, and means for rotating said propeller.

5. A propelling mechanism for life belts comprising a .supporting member including spaced plates constituting a housing, a gear wheel arranged within said housing, means for operating said gear wheel, a shaft su ported within the housing and driven y said gear wheel, a second shaft disposed at right angles to the first mentioned shaft and driven by the same, said housing being provided with an opening which slopes from the upper edge of the housing which is secured to the lbelt downwardly to the lower unattached edge of the housing, and a propeller carried on the last mentioned shaft and disposed within said opening.

6. A propelling mechanism for life belts including a supporting member having a base, a propeller rotatably mounted on the supporting member within an opening therein and disposed obliquely with respect to the base of said member, the propeller extending outwardly and downwardly from` tively thin supporting frame disposed vertically of the belt, said frame being adapted to steer the belt when in use, and propelling mechanism carried by the frame.

` 9. A propelling mechanism for life belts including a supporting member, propelling mechanism mounted thereon, arms formed on the supporting member, and means carried by said member for clamping a life belt against said arms. o

l0. A propelling mechanism for lifebelts including a supporting member, a propeller carried thereby and mounted within an opening in said member, said propeller including. blades which in one position are housed within f the supporting member, means for rotating the propeller, and means for attaching the supporting member to a tively thin supporting member disposed very tically of the belt, and a propelling mechanism carried by said member.

In testimony whereof I aifiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN G. L. ANDERSON. [n s] Witnesses:

CARL E. JOHNSON,

AGNEs R. TALLY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve centseach, by addressing the Commissioner of IPatents,

Washington, 2D. C. 

